Learn what word will make or break your investor pitch in this presentation by IR expert Jeff Ramson.

1. This Word Can Make or
Break Your Investor Pitch

2. Pitching your first start-up company to investors is one of the most
crucial and challenging speeches you will make in your life. Making it to
the point where you are ready to start building investor relations in
itself shows a fair amount of serious commitment, but slight mistakes
can trivialize your entire presentation. When speaking of your
endeavor, your words need to carry the weight of longevity, prosperity,
and focus. If you make the common mistake of calling your company a
“project”, however, you risk making your business sound like a school
assignment or weekend hobby in the nuanced ears of investors.

3. Why Wording Matters
Investors listen to pitches from hopeful entrepreneurs for hours on
end. They are not easily impressed or excited, and they don’t have the
longest attention spans in the world. In the time you’re given,
everything about your pitch needs to stand out. Confidence goes a long
way, but being competent and mindful of the future is even more
important. Investors want to put their money in things that will last.
Obviously you want your company to succeed in the long term as well,
and if you have a good business plan, it’ll show. In order to gain every
advantage of your foresight however, you need to keep your language
consistent with your goals. If you plan for the long term but identify
your start-up with short term definitions, the conflicting message will
damage your credibility.

4. Company Versus Project
At the surface your endeavor may feel like a personal project in its
formative stages, but thinking and speaking of it as being more benefits
how both yourself and your potential supporters will perceive it. The
word “project” refers to an individual or collaborative effort towards a
set goal. Once that goal is achieved, the project is finished. If a project
fails, it is abandoned. The overall significance of a project is limited by
its fixed goals.

5. A company on the other hand is always setting new goals and is not
limited by a singular purpose. A company is a constantly evolving and
expanding thing that only ends when it fails completely. A company
adapts to its environment and strives to stay relevant and profitable.
Calling your work a company over a project sends a message to
everyone that you intend to make it last, and that is what investors
want to hear.

6. Jeff Ramson is the CEO of PCG Advisory Group and an authority within
the Investor Relations industry.